Motorists face hefty and unexpected bills if they fall foul of insurance 'loopholes' hidden in the small print when it comes to taking out a policy.
Consumer group Which? analysed around 49 policies from insurers and said it found some gaps in coverage for personal belongings and courtesy cars, reports MEN.
The majority of policies it looked at did contain some kind of coverage for belongings, so if a car is damaged or stolen, motorists can claim for items that need to be repaired or replaced.
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However, not all types of belongings are covered, including things like cash, documents and credit cards.
Four in 10 policies with personal possessions also excluded mobile phones from coverage.
Which? also found that only around a quarter (24%) of policies will pay for someone to recover illegal clamping or towing fees, while just three in 10 (31%) will help deal with legal costs related to a car’s licence plate being cloned.
Jenny Ross, Which? Money editor, said: “Our research shows that motorists risk facing hefty bills when things go wrong as a large number of policies don’t cover incidents or possessions you might expect.
"With the cost of living biting, this means car problems could be disastrous for those on low incomes, or with limited savings."
The research showed that while all policies have some provision for courtesy car cover as standard, only a fifth offered a temporary replacement vehicle if someone's vehicle is stolen, and just a fifth do so if it is written off
Some policies do allow an option to upgrade, but this is not a given.
Similarly, drivers may also assume they have guaranteed cover for driving other cars, but this is not the case, as in more than a thid of policies looked at, this only applied in emergencies.
Jenny Ross added: "We would urge drivers to read the small print. If you’re comparing two similarly priced policies, the bills you can rack up by falling foul of car insurance loopholes could dwarf the extra amount you would pay for the more expensive cover.
"Anyone who’s unhappy with how their insurer has handled a claim should always shop around when it’s time to renew. You could save hundreds of pounds by switching insurers, while getting the right cover to suit your needs."
Meanwhile, seven in 10 policies offer help in the event that someone fills their petrol tank with the wrong fuel, but only one in five will assist with both draining the tank and repairing the engine and just half of policies do one or the other, Which? found.
A spokesman for the Association of British Insurers (ABI) said: "Every day motor insurers pay £22 million in claims to private motor insurance customers, with 99% of all claims paid.
"Insurers remain committed to ensuring value-for-money cover and want drivers to understand exactly what they are covered for. We urge motorists to check the scope of cover provided and speak to their motor insurer if unclear."
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